Phew!

[100] ... [General]

Phew!, that's how Wordle reacts when you manage to guess the cleverly set TRAIN in the sixth and last attempt, when BRAIN, DRAIN and GRAIN failed.

It feels the same way on reaching the 100th post. I am not used to setting new year resolutions that never work for the likes of us. When I discovered Listed.to blogging built into Standard Notes, I just jumped in, with nothing to lose. On coming to know of #100 Days of writing, it was the same instinct after a few minutes of consideration when a couple of subjects came to mind, saying you can do it.

Let's be frank, a couple of subjects are just that, not lasting more than a fortnight at most. In the beginning it's all roses, like entering a cave attracted by the paintings or sketches done by our ancestors centuries ago, and as you go deeper, the quality of light comes down, further down, additionally the air feels heavy on the lungs. But you keep on, confident on an outlet somewhere, a natural vent or some trickling water from outside that can show a way out than beating the retreat.

That’s how the journey has been. I didn't take it as a challenge or a promise to myself, but more as a ritual. Like someone said, promises tend to break, but attempts succeed. The ritual worked, with a hope of testing one's capability.

Finding subjects or topics isn't easy when your space has nothing specific to cover like food, travel, hobby or a profession, or your views on daily news, all of which offer easy material, with may be dedicated following. This has been kept just on a general note. Too general in fact, steering clear off politics and religion, the two touchy aspects, specially these days when the former has almost either become the latter or hopelessly intertwined like in some places. More often it began with nothing on mind, and somehow things got assembled with a vague idea, to form a subject where none existed.

It's more difficult on not knowing the type of audience or readership. There's no way you can get statistics on the number of visitors here unlike in other platforms, where you are sure of at least someone having seen. Except myself and at most one other who evinced some interest on being given the link, I tend to think there have been hardly anyone else, except may be by chance. I kept the daily ritual going, simply out of commitment, and also on seeing this regularly cropping up under the recent authors. As to my identity, though nothing to hide, may be leaving it unsaid is better off.

As to the way of putting things, the method has been casual, being myself. How much ever you read the writings of others, wondering at their stock of vocabulary, the right word in the right place, when you start typing, you can only be yourself to say it in your way. I can't go beyond the simple words, may be a few particular ones here and there, and thanks to the in-built dictionary of keyboard, that can rightly guess and offer them spelled correctly without effort. The other aim is to keep it short, as no one these days cares to read through lengthy pieces on the Net, me included. Though some topics tempt to make essays out of them, the contents have been deliberately cut short, leaving out the most obvious that's already known. I ended all with an ellipsis or the three dots just to convey the unsaid. Fixing up a heading for each post is another dilemma, and often may not convey the intended unless the content is read to catch the relevance. The posts were also numbered to keep track. Since we can't additionally label each to categorize to enable finding the similar, I put in my [own], though it hardly matters or served any purpose.

I began initially posting on the computer through the web version and occasionally from the phone. I prefer the former anyway to be able to see the whole matter on the large screen with the typos glaringly visible. On the phone you don't get the complete picture till previewed after publishing in the browser to make corrections or restructure with multiple updates.

It's been an interesting ride. If you have been a regular or even catching up occasionally, a big thank you. If seeing this straightaway, care to see if the past ones hold your interest. Though there is a subscribe button, I don't know how it works. If the system mails out on its own or needs your input, without being told of anyone being subscribed.

I preferred to do this last piece on the PC, but it is busy munching the monthly update and won't let me till digested after a restart, and that may take a while. From hereon, I am not sure if the daily habit would continue, but will try to keep it going, however spaced out. Besides, we need to let others show up as the recent contributors. By the way, with much to say, this no doubt is the longest I have ever written...